Computer systems can have at least one central processing unit (CPU) integrated circuit (IC), each having at least one processor or “core”. In some cases, each processor core can execute a plurality of threads. For example, commercially available CPUs from Intel Corporation, such as the INTEL CORE i7 CPU, can include two cores (dual core), four cores (quad core), or six cores (hex core), where each of the cores provides two threads. A circuit board or “mainboard” in a computer system can include at least one socket each supporting a CPU IC. For example, a mainboard can support two sockets for quad-core CPU ICs.
The cost of licensing some types of software, such as database software, depends on the number of processors in the computer on which the software is installed. The software may count physical sockets, physical cores, or core threads. The more processors available, the greater the cost of licensing the software. In some cases, enterprises purchase several computers with the same configuration, but utilize each of them differently. For example, some uses of a computer may not require all of the available processors. Thus, users can pay increased software licensing costs, even if they don't require all of the processors to perform the designated function of the computer.